Review: Pink Sari Revolution @ Northern Stage

Pink Sari Revolution in Northern Stage on Thursday was easily one of the best productions I have seen this year. The staging, the performance and the play itself felt highly professional as well as deeply engaging.

The play began with the brutal images of a girl hanging from a tree and a policewoman pouring a bucket of blood down the drain which set the tone of the play quite nicely and it prepared the audience for what was to come. The play intensely focused on the violence that women experience in India and how the matter is often neglected. A scene from the play showed the perspective of a mother-in-law who tells her daughter that women like her are the reason male turn to rape, implying that sex is something her son has a right to.

The play showed the brutal reality of things by not sugar-coating the truth

The whole idea of the play is to challenge that way of thinking through Sampat Pal’s Gang and their ideology which fights for justice and equality with their pink saris and their sticks. The storyline revolves around a girl who has been raped by a man standing high in society. Because of the authorities’ negligence Sampat Pal takes it into her own hands to free the girl and protect her honour. The play showed the brutal reality of things by not sugar-coating the truth.

Pamela Raith

The balance between the very serious scenes which talk about violence and rape and the comedic ones create certain stability and makes it a bit less intense. The clever setting also allowed for swift transitions which made the play a lot easier to follow. Despite it being very powerful and insightful the play seemed slightly incomplete. On various occasions in the play the phrase “Pink is the colour of the sky before a storm” was used.

It felt like the audience was waiting for this outburst of a storm which never actually came.